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OCTOBER 4, 1924
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
Business Improves as the Fall Season
Advances Among Milwaukee Music Dealers
Steinway Featured in Novelty Act at Wisconsin Theatre—R. K. Paynter, of Knabe & Co., a
Visitor—Kaun Music Co. Opens New Baldwin Warerooms—Organ Company Changes Name
]V/f ILWAUKEE, WIS., September 30.—Busi-
ness continues to improve as the Fall sea-
son advances, and some unusually good sales
arc reported by several Milwaukee music
houses. Pianos are very good, phonographs are
picking up and radio is again beginning to figure
in music store business. The fact that unusual
efforts are being put forth by local stores to
attract business is one reason for the great im-
provement. With the beginning of September
several stores increased their advertising and
planned special events to attract attention to
music stores. As people naturally turn to music
and music lessons following the opening of
school, these merchandising plans have brought
in excellent results in many cases.
"Business is very good," stated Edward Her-
zog, sales manager of Edmund Gram, Inc.,
prominent Milwaukee music house. "The Stem-
way business has been very big. We have made
a number of very nice Steinway sales within
the past week. During the same week we also
sold three reproducing pianos, one A. B. Chase
and two Lindermans with the Celco reproduc-
ing medium. Phonographs are picking up and
radio is opening up very well."
Mr. Herzog showed considerable enthusiasm
over the new Brunswick Radiolas and stated
that the first three received at the store were
sold before the third had been completely un-
packed. He prophesied that they would be a
big item in Fall business.
Edmund Gram, of Edmund Gram, Inc., is
greatly improved in health although he is not
completely recovered from his illness of last
Summer. He is at the store regularly and is
taking over a great portion of the work he
formerly handled.
Steinway Featured in Novelty Act
The ivory-finished Steinway grand sold by
Gram's to the Wisconsin Theatre made its first
appearance on the program for this week. This
instrument, which was specially finished for stage
purposes, has been on display in the large win-
dow of the Edmund Gram store for several
weeks. The Steinway was used in a novelty
act which formed part of the program at the
theatre. The curtain was raised on the piano
placed in the center of the stage before a black
curtain with a pianist playing a dance selection.
A basket of kittens was placed at one end of
the instrument. Before the musical number was
finished, the lights were cut off for a minute.
When they came on a large representation of
the Steinway had replaced the real instrument,
and the kittens were represented by dancers
in kittens' costumes who presented a novelty
dance.
R. K. Paynter, president of William Knabe
& Co., was a Milwaukee visitor for one day in
September.
D. D. Gulling, manager of the Rudolph Wur-
litzer store, reports an improvement in business
conditions.
"Business is improving every day," stated
Hugh M. Holmes, manager of the J. B. Brad-
ford Piano Co., home of the Mason & Hamlin
piano and the Duo-Art reproducing medium.
"The Mason & Hamlin grand business has been
very good, and a number of these instruments
has been sold in the past few weeks." Brad-
ford's recently sold a Steck Duo-Art to E. A.
Peterson, a prominent manufacturer of Apple-
ton, Wis.
Fred Harlow, of Vose & Sons, Boston, spent
a week in Milwaukee. During his visit here he
was the guest for a day at the Summer home
of Hugh W. Randall, president of the Brad-
ford Co. at Pine Lake. Both Mr. Randall and
Mr. Harlow made the trip to Rockford, 111.,
where they took part in the golf tournament
of the Chicago Piano Club.
Attention has been attracted to the south side
store of the Bradford Co. as a result of several
special window attractions. The company has
been displaying a number of novelty walking
dolls imported from Czecho-Slovakia. A child
of eight appeared in the window one day and
spent the afternoon illustrating the various ways
in which children might be amused with these
dolls. The same little girl appeared in another
attraction centered around .the Victor exercise
records. Dressed in a gym outfit she turned
on the record and went through all the exer-
cises for the benefit of those who passed by.
Bradford's have found these window attractions
of great value from an advertising standpoint.
Even though few direct sales are made, the
indirect benefit in calling people's attention to
the store is great.
The Thiery Piano Co. featured Columbia
phonographs and records during the appearance
of the vaudeville artists, Van and Schenk, at
the Palace Theatre. The company obtained an
unusual favor in the form of permission to ex-
hibit these instruments and records in the lobby
of the theatre during the appearance of the two
men. A console model was selected for the
exhibition. Although the usual run of a vaude-
ville act at this theatre is only a week, these
stars remained for double that time.
Mr. Jones has received a number of favorable
comments on the exceptional tone of the
Schiller super grand, which has been placed in
the broadcasting studio of station WCAY, the
Milwaukee Civic Broadcasting Station, Inc. The
instrument is used in every program with the
announcement of its name and the name of the
Thiery Co., which furnished it.
J. J. Healy, manager of the music department
of the Boston Store, spent a vacation of several
days in Chicago with his family.
Mrs. I. B. Torgerson, in charge of the Vic-
trola department of the Boston Store, recently
gave an educational talk concerning the use of
phonographs at the Milwaukee Pre-Vocational
School. Mrs. Torgerson is well known in this
community for her Victor educational work and
has been asked to make a number of talks dur-
ing the Fall.
New Baldwin Warerooms Opened
The formal opening of the Baldwin piano
department of the Wm. A. Kaun Music Co. was
held at the store last Saturday. The depart-
ment is under the management of Ralph L.
Pettit, direct factory representative, who laid
careful plans for the opening. The music de-
partments on the second and third floors were
attractively arranged for the event with'soft
lighting and other features. Visitors were en-
tertained by a demonstration of the Baldwin
reproducing piano and were presented with sou-
venirs. Special Baldwin song books, between
500 and 1,000 sheets of music, and cut flowers
were among the souvenirs given away during
the day. The complete Baldwin line of upright
and grand pianos, player-pianos and reproduc-
ing instruments are included in the display at
Kaun's.
Lucien Wulsin, treasurer of the Baldwin
Piano Co., and George W. Lawrence, who is in
charge of the Chicago division, spent a day in
Milwaukee prior to the opening of the new
Baldwin department.
Local stores report that a large number of
salesmen are now passing through the city look-
ing for business connected with the holiday
trade.
Organ Company Changes Name
The Schaefer Organ Co., formerly located at
Slinger, Wis., has moved its factory and office
to Milwaukee and has filed an amendment to its
articles of incorporation changing its nanie (Q
the Weickhardt-Schaefer Organ Co.
Victrola No. 330
Mahogany, $350; electric, $390
Walnut, $415; electric, $455
Victor supremacy
is the supremacy
of performance
Actual accomplishments
are better than promises
and expectations. What the
Victor has done in the past
and continues to do today
is the safe index of what
the future holds in store for
the musical i n s t r u m e n t
dealer.
Victrola No. 410
$300
Electric, $340
Mahogany
Other styles $25 to $1500
HIS MASTERS VOICE
There is but one Victrola and
that is made by the Victor Company
—look for these Victor trademarks.
^ »
TRADE MARK
^ *
Victrola
REG U 5 PAT
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, New Jersey
Viclor Talking Machine Co.
of Canada, Ltd., Montreal